bemoane thy selfe thus Ier. 31.18 Thou hast chastised mee and I was chastised as a Bullocke and accustomed to the Yoake Turne thou mee and I shall be turned thou art the Lord my God surely after that I was turned I repented after that I was instructed I smot vppon my Knee I was ashamed yea euen confounded because I did beare the reproch of my youth yet if thou shalt be patieÌ„t since I spake against thee saith the Lord I doe earnestly remember thee still therfore my bowells are troubled for thee I will surely haue mercie on thee saith the Lord. The sicke persons Prayer for comfort in affliction Lord Iesus Christ my Redeemer I complayne that my miserie vexeth mee so sore and that my sicknesse endureth so long I request thee thou eternall Word of thy eternall Father thou liuely comforter proclayme Consolation in my heart that I in my greatest infirmitie anguish and pangs of death may vnderstand that I am thy deare child and cast my selfe in thy armes and bosome turn neuer thy gratious countenance from mee yea Lord the time thou diddest hang vpoÌ„ the crosse tookest our rebuke and reproach vpon thee and wast destitute of the helpe of all creatures yet wast thou notwithstanding thy Fathers onely begotten Sonne and shalt so bee eternally When faithfull Ioseph was in Bonds Ge. 41.14 and had no whit of any creatures fauour Yet wast thou with him loued him and deliuered him in due season When Stephan was lead to death Act. 7.55 and stones cast at him didst not thou manifest thy selfe vnto him when replenished with inward ioy and full of the holy Ghost he looked vp stedfastly into heauen and saw the glory of God and Iesus standing on the right hand of God And Lazarus when hee lay at the rich mans gate full of sores Luk. 16.22 yea and the dogs came and shewed greater humanity than man yet was he carried by the Angels into Abrahams bosom O my God I am thy vvretched Lazarus heere lie I knocking at thy gate with my pitifull groans naked and full of sores am I my pain is great and my torment will ouercome me but I know assuredly and heereunto 1000. witnesses haue I in mine heart by thy holy Spirit that thou wilt not forsake me thine eyes are ouer mee night and day as one of thine Elect I appertaine to thy euerlasting life therefore thou art with mee in this my distresse Psal. 91.9 I haue made thee my refuge and my habitation ô set not mine iniquities before thee neither secret sinnes in the light of thy countenance for who knowes the power of thine anger Psal. 90.11 euen according to thy feare so is thy wrath O let the beauty of my Lord my God bee vpon me and satisfie mee early with thy mercy that I may reioyce and bee glad all the daies I haue to liue now Lord I loue loue thee therefore deliuer me and shew me thy saluation for Christ Iesus thy sonnes sake to whom with the holy Spirit be all honour Amen Flesh. Shew me how I may resist Sathan in my sicknesse or any other temptation Spirit Seuenthly if Sathan insist in assaulting thee with his fiery darts of tentations Eph. 6.16 enter not in deepe cogitations and disputations with him for hee is too craftie and subtil for thee for of thine owne nature Gen. 3.1 thou canst neuer gaine-stand him remember Adam and Eue who were deceiued by him and miserably seduced although they were in the state of innocency and in their pure and holy nature how canst thou then wretched and corrupt sinner encounter him But cast thine eyes vpon Iesus Christ and heerewiâ—hall comfort thy sicke soule that he in all his tentations abideth constant and was not ouercome but ouercame Sathan for thy weale hath giueÌ„ thee freely his victorie to the end that howsoeuer hee shall double his assaults against thee yet hee shall goe confounded Moreouer the weapons which Iesus Christ vsed against him are to bee considered of thee which were places and sentences of Scripture Eph. 6.17 euen so lay thou hand on the holy sword of Gods word the sword I say of the Spirit 1 Pet. 5.9 Iam. 4. and resist him stedfast in thy faith and he will flie from thee If so be hee say thy sins are greater then can bee forgiuen Gen. 4.13 then kill him with the true word of God and constantly affirme thou liest Sathan for where sinne hath abounded Rom. 5.20 there grace hath superabounded If he say that Christs merits belong not vnto thee thou art not of the number of the Elect then exclaime and say thou liest Sathan for Christ hath sayd come vnto mee all yee that are weary and are heauy laden and I will giue you rest and gaine as in Adam all die euen so in Christ shall all be made aliue 1 Cor. 15. 22. If he shall make Gods indignation and wrath for sinne huge and great against thee say without ceasing Ioh. 3.16 God so loued the world that he gaue his only begotten Sonne that whosoeuer beleeued in him should not die but haue euerlasting life And in another place God commendeth his loue towards vs in that while wee were yet sinners Rom. 5.8 Christ died for vs and thou hast loued them Ioh. 17.23 as thou hast loued me If hee shall open hell before thee defend thy selfe with this word of God 1 Ioh. 3.8 and say For this cause the Sonne of God was manifested that hee might destroy the workes of the Diuell Hos. 13.14 And againe I will ransom them from the power of the graue I will redeeme them from death ô death I will be thy plagues ô grauâ— I will bee thy dâ—struction Doth hee vpbraid thy weake faith then say thou the Lord will not breake the bruised reede and the smoking flax shall he not quench And againe Esay 42.3 Psal. 51.17 A broken and contrite heart ô God thou wilt not despise And in another place thus saith hee Esa. 57.15 19. 66.2 the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternitie whose name is holy I dwell in the high and holy place with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit to reuiue the spirit of the humble and to reuiue the heart of thâ— contrite ones And therefore hee saith peace peace to him that is farre off and to him that is neere If Sathan obiect thy coldnesse and drowzinesse in prayer thou mayest answer Although I do not speake yet I sigh and groane which is acceptable vnto him If hee affirme that thy crosse sicknes lasts long and that the Lord hath cast thee out of his mind thou mayest answer Caâ— a woman forget her sucking childe Esa. 49.15 that shee should not haue compassion in the sonne of her wombe shee may forget yet will I not forget thee saith the Lord. If hee obiect thy pouerty and that thou art despised of all yea of
Lord Iesus Christ an Almighty promiser and powerfull performer vnto thee for saith he all the father giueth me Ioh. 6.37.38.39.40 shall come to mee and him that commeth vnto mee I will in no wise cast out for I came downe from heauen not to doe mine owne will but the will of him that sent me and this is the fathers will which hath sent mee that of all which he hath giuen mee I should lose nothing but should raise it vp againe at the last day and this is the will of him that sent mee that euery one that seeth the Sonne and beleeuâ—th on him may haue euerlasting life and I will raise him vp at the last day Heare then deare Soule what comfortable speeches these are out of the mouth of Verity it selfe Wouldest thou haue more to glad thine heart and stirre thy courage Heare the Lord him selfe witnessing who cannot lie thy faith sâ—all not decay thou shalt not bee lost but abide constant to the lad end And againe I haue prayed for thee Luk 22.13 that thy faith faile not for my sheepe heare my voyce and I know them saith hee and they follow mee Ioh. 10.27.28.29.30 and I giue vnto them eternall life and they shall neuer perish neither shall any man plucke them out of my hand my father which gaue them me is greater thaÌ„ all no man is able to pluck theÌ„ out of my father hand I and my father am one And againe Mary hathchosen the good part Luk. 10.42 which shall not bee taken away from her A Meditation of the soule of faith in Christs promises How could the Lord giue vnto thee greater security thou hast his promise that he by the power of his holy Spirit shall giue his word for thee thy faith shal not decay and will not his father heare him when he prayed for Peter and for thee that thou shouuldest not be pluckt out of his or his Fathers hand and that the good part in thine heart should not bee reft from thee Now therefore art thou sure both of eternall life and of thy constancy and perseuerance thereunto and that thou through his mercie mayest stedfastly abide vnto the end hee will not leaue thee and thou shalt not leaue him yea thou shalt apprehend him oâ—â—hom thou art apprehended Therefore bee of courage and comfort thy selfe and say with Paul I know whom I haue beleeued 2 Tim. 1.12 and am perswaded that hâ—e is able to keep that which I haue committed vnto him against that day And in another place I am perswaded that neiâ—ther death nor life nor Angels nor principaliâ—ies nor powers nor things present nor things to come nor height nor depth nor any creature shall bee able to separate vs from the loue oâ— God which is in Christ Iesus our Lord. The sicke mans Prayer and comfort in Christ. O Lord Iesus Christ Thou alone art my eternall Portion and Part which I haue chosen and am certaine that euen when mine heart shall breake it shall not bee taken from mee ô Thou Almighty Redemer who can doubt of thee ô Thou powerfull Sheepheard who shall pluck me out of thy hands ô Thou louing Sauiour 1 Ioh. 4.8 who art loue it selfe who will separate me from thy loue Thou hast kindled and raised in mine heart already a taste of the sweetnesse of the euerlasting habitations and thou hast made me haue experieÌ„ce therof by many and ioyfull deliuerances Yea Lord I perceiue the witnesse of thy holy Spirit in mine heart which witnesseth vnto my spirit that I am the childe of God and so fellow-heire with thee thou art the vine and I am a branch in thee thou art the tree of life and I am engrafted in thee thou art the Bride-groome and I the Bride wedded vnto Thee made one with thee and ioyned with thee by an euerlasting indissoluable couenant that neither the Diuell or distresse shall weaken crosse or infirmity loose and breake for euer For I am betrothed vnto Thee in righteousnesse Hos. 2.19.20 in iudgement and in louing kindnesse and in mercies yea I am betrothed vnto Thee in faithfulnesse and I doe know thee my Lord. O how burneth my heart to thee Psal. 42 2. O when shall I come and appeare before thee my God in heauen there to liue with thee for euer Amen Flesh. What shall the Christian doe when hee shall not finde such assurance of faith but great imbecillity coldnesse and drowzinesse oftentimes doubting whether he be one of the Elect or not Spirit Hee should not suffer such doubtings and weaknesses to lodge in his hart but remember that the Kingdome of Heauen suffereth violence Matth. 11.12 and is gotten by force and the violent take it by force yea thou shouldst bee mindefull of the Apostles admonition 2 Tim. 1.6 I put thee saith he in remembrance that thou stirre vp the gift of God which is in thee and he will comfort thee with these words A bruized reede wil he not breake Esay 42.3 and the smoaking flax shall he not quench and hee shall reuiue thy soule by that comfortable promise be not afraid onely beleeue Matt. 9 29. thy faith shall make thee safe for according to thy faith it shall bee vnto thee And therefore be of good cheere Matt. 9.2 thy sinnes be forgiuen thee For daily experience doth teach that the more one resorts to the word of God and pondereth vpon the comfortable sentences of the Scripture in his minde he obtaineth the greater comfort in his heart but especially when he meditates vpon this heauenly summons and citation of the Lord Mat. 11.28 Come vnto mee all you that labour and are heauie laden and I will giue you rest A Meditation of the great comfort the children of God haue in this world O perceiue deere soule how mercifully and louingly the Lord cals vpon thee how he gathereth thee euen as a hen gathers her chickens vnder her wings Matth. 23.37 or as a good sheepheard goeth after that which is lost Luk. 15.4.5.6 vntill hee finde it and when hee hath found it hee layeth it on his shoulders reioycing and when hee commeth home hee calleth together his friends and his neighbours saying vnto them rejoyce with mee for I haue found the sheepe which was lost Consider therefore that thou art euen one of these who are wearied and burthened to whom the Lords Proclamation belongeth and therefore wheere hee saith Seeke my face continually answer thou in thy heart and say I will seeke thy face continually Thus the Lord will looke vnto him that is poore Esay 66..2 and of a contrite Spirit trembleth at this word Knowest thou not deare Soule that the Lord receiues him that is weake in faith For a weake faith is a true faith when as it wrastleth striues and leaues not off but sticketh vnto the word wherein in the promise is contayned And therefore is it well sayd by Luther In
Faith and not by feeling I teach thee humilitie and not to glorie but in infirmiâ—ies 2. Cor. 11.30.31 for Paul for all his Reuelations was afraid of Aretas and let downe in a basket Elias who commaunded as it were the Heauens to rayne and not to raine hid himselfe in a caue from Iesabell 1. â—i 19.9 Iacob was afraid of his brother Abraham of Pharoah and the Philistims in Gerah O how dearly loued I them but when the starre appeareth againe Mat. â— the wisemen reioiced with an exceeding great ioy Rachel had Labans gods which made him more eager to seeke them I may frowne for a while yet not alwaies retaine my anger No truely Ps. 103.9 I am not angrie at all as a Iudge to punish but as a Father to correct a brother to admonish I cannot cease to loue my owne members Doth anie man strike his owne flâ—sh at any time Thou art one of my members ingrafted in my body by my Spirit and a liuely faith I haue said and doe not repent thou that beleeuest in me art deliuered from the power of darkenesse by my Father and art translated into the kingdome of Mee his deare Sonne The SOVLE THe wordes that thou speakest sweet Redeemer of Mankind are Spirit and Life but thou speakest of affections reformed which I find not How cold are my Prayers O how hard is my hart it cannot powre it selfe out like Water before Thee it cannot admit any impression of thy Word or finger of thy spirit my wauering faith is not confirmed by it I lacke that heauenly light to discerne of my troubles and crosses aright Finally I haue little or no comfort in thy Word wanting the apprehending applyâ—â—g faith the hand of my Soule O Sonne of Dauid haue mercy vpon me miserable sinner O sweet Samaritan take mee vp which am halfe dead CHRIST THou hast redemption in my bloud Col. 1.14 euen the forgiuenesse of thy sinnes for they shall neuer bee imputed vnto thee neither heere nor elsewhere neither doe they raigne in thy mortall body but thou hast a serious reluctation against them neither thy vnworthines maketh thee vncapable of the greatest mercies they are of my meere and free loue and grace thou art not the obiect of thine owne faith but I my merits obedience who am by faith vnited vnto thee as a head to a member then look vpon mee I am in thee and thou art in me that which God hath conioyned who can separate it or who can plucke thee out of my fathers hand my father and I am one and my Spirit which hath wrought in thee that desire of profiting by the Word whereof thou so heauily complainest will make thee reape manifold fruits of the immortall seed of the Word in due season which is sowed in the furrowes of thy hart I do feed thee for a time with a sparing hand to sharpen thine appetite wait and trust on me and I will comfort thy heart Psal. 27.16 truly flesh and bloud hath not reuealed the hardnes of thy heart vnto thee but my spirit which worketh the sight of thy corruptions Esa. 63. â—7 I which haue begunne this good worke will performe it Phil. 1.6 It is good for thee that thou bewailest thy defects and wants quench not these motions of my spirit in thee prayer is my gift it is I that worke both the will deede Lam. 1.22 it is I that mark thy many sighs the faintings of thy heart yea my spirit doth make request for thee with sighs that cannot bee expressed when thou holdest thy peace or little knowest of it The sacrifice of God are not words Psal. 51.17 but a contrite spirit a contrite and broken heart I will not despise I know thy thoughts before thou thinke them Psal. 1 39.2 thy sighing is not hid from me I doe heaâ—e thy desire Psal. 38.9 Psal. 10.17 it is I that doe put vp as Mediator betwixt thee and my father thy prayers vnto the golden viols which are full of the precious odours of my merits thereby perfumeth and maketh them an offring of sweet smelling sauour vnto him Reu. 5.8 and purgeth their corruptions in my bloud and vnto my throne there is a purple ascent the perfectest bewty is the perfectest mixture of red and white afflictions staineth not but adorneth the beautie of my graces The SOVLE I Am not so washed I see in the lauer of regeneration but that there remaineth in mee slaines of that scarlet engrained die of my corruption I am not wholly spirit as the carnall man is wholly slesh but 〈◊〉 at ciuill wars within my selfe In the spirit I serue the Law of God in the flesh the law of sinne O deare Iesus grant me thy spirit grace 1 Thess. 5.22 that I may auoid the occasions of sinne I may make conscience of my lâ—ast sinnes I may carefully watch ouer my heart that I be not surprized at vnawares I may rest in thy promised assistance and not in mine owne power and haue recourse vnto thee by feruent praier crauing thy ayd that I may bee enabled to stand in the daie of temptations but alas deare Sauiour it vexeth mee greatly that I doe not much Lord thou knowest feele my faith nor the fruits thereof which maketh mee I know not what to thinke that I haue no true faith or if I haue it is yet in the infancy thereof CHRIST FAith is the eye hand and foot of the Soule for by it it commeth seeth and layeth hold on mee seeke light in the Word which is Truth by praier that thou bee not deceiued and follow the same light so farre as thou shalt be warranted thereby the conscience maketh the assumption but examined it by my word lest thou fall in errour and for to learne deere Soule to discerne betwixt the punishment for sinne and trial of thy faith patience and purging of Sinne for I often afflict inwardly the soule with deep sense of sinne and the bodie with crosses outwardly not to prosecute sinne in thee Ier. 51.7 for then it should follow that as the wicked mine enemies exceede in sinne so should they exceed in afflictions also but thee I lead as a louing Spouse with cords of aman Hos. 11.4 euen with bands of loue for whom I loue I rebuke For I am good a strong hold in the daie of trouble and know them that trust in me Nah. 1.7 Nourish this in thine heart it is more certaine and durable then heauen and earth The SOVLE O My sweet Sauiour thou hast taken my feet out of the mire I stucke iâ— Psal. 4.1 Luk. 1.49 and put me at more large liberty of minde thou that art mighty hast done for me great things and holy is thy name thou wilt performe thy worke toward me O Lord Psal. 138.8 thy mercie endureth for euer forsake not the worke of thy owne hands thou hast deliuered me from